Hummingbird Migration
Update: May 11, 2006
Rufous hummers make it across the Continental Divide and are sighted
in Whitefish, MT and Parker, CO this week! Ruby-throat migration
is in full swing into the northern states arriving to the great excitement
at the Journey North headquarters in MN. Keep your feeders full and
enjoy a summer of watching these delightful little birds.

Hummingbird
Migration Update: May 4, 2006Rufous
hummingbirds have nearly reached
the
edges
of
their
expected range, but Rubythroats are surging north!
View
15 seconds with
a
male hummer at a feeder to see what you discover. Can hummers tell the flowers
that still have nectar from the ones they've already emptied? Be a hummer
in
search of nectar while playing a simple memory game, and see what's
next
in
the hummingbirds
life cycle. There's wonderment ahead!

Hummingbird
Migration Update: April 27, 2006
This week’s map and data are telling us a story. Study the maps and see
if you can find out what it is. Ruby-throats have reached as far north as Duluth,
MN in the Midwest, but seem stalled out on the East Coast. Can a temperature
map help us learn why the hummingbirds seem to have stopped in their tracks this
week? Is this delay due to cooler temperatures? Could it be the prevailing north
winds of late? What do you think? Watch for a full report next week.

Hummingbird
Migration Update: April 20, 2006
Whoosh! That’s the sound of Ruby-throated hummingbirds filling our map
in a BIG push northward! One week brought amazing changes. The Rufous range map
closely matches our map of sightings; how much farther north do you think this
species will go? A new video clip lets you watch a female hummingbird for one
minute while she visits a feeder. Our handout
guides your observations.

Hummingbird
Migration Update: April 13, 2006
This week we received sightings
reporting dates BOTH earlier and later
than normal: Grayling, MI reports their first Ruby-throated hummer
almost a month earlier than the past 5 years, and in Candler, NC
the first sighting is almost 3 wks later than last year! These
birds have made long journeys! A hummingbird report from MS, "He
looked tired and thin and drank repeatedly from the feeders at
5:05 pm." Watch
for a full update next week.

Laura
Erickson

Hummingbird
Migration Update: April 6, 2006
An early sighting in Alaska has raised some questions: Should we
keep it on the map? Evaluate the situation and share your advice.
There's
one special hummingbird we watch for each spring, Mr. Lanny Chambers'
first. Use 15 years of data to predict its return. Then look at
the
map: Where is YOUR hummingbird right now and when will it reach home?

Hummingbird
Migration Update: March 30, 2006
Just a quick update today to give you the latest maps and data. This
week think about how weather affects migration. Watch for a full update
next week - and keep watching and listening for hummingbirds!

Hummingbird
Migration Update: March 23, 2006
Weather slowed progress for Rubythroats and Rufous, but we have a
Rufous report from Juneau, Alaska! Rubythroats entered new states,
too. See the progress by clicking maps in our week-by-week animation.
While Rufous hummers follow a nectar trail, Ruby-throated hummers
often arrive well before their food plants are blooming. What partnership
helps them survive? Start your comparison chart of short-distance
and long-distance migrants with our exciting new lesson. Reminder:
Ask the Expert now welcomes
your questions!

L.Erickson

Hummingbird
Migration Update: March 16, 2006
"Once in North America, Ruby-throated migration proceeds at an
average rate of about 20 miles per day, generally following the earliest
blooming of flowers hummingbirds prefer," writes our hummingbird
expert, Lanny Chambers. Do you agree? Study today's map and see if
this week follows Lanny's rule.Just
a quick update today to give you the latest data for your migration
map. Watch for a full update next week - and keep watching and listening
for hummingbirds!

Hummingbird
Migration Update: March 2, 2006
Are the hummingbirds late? Ruby-throated hummingbird migration usually
begins by the end of February. "Still waiting for credible migration
reports," says hummingbird expert Lanny Chambers. "I have
no explanation for the lack of data." Meanwhile, almost two dozen
Rufous hummers have appeared in the Pacific Northwest. Just a quick
update today to give you the latest data for your migration map. Watch
for a full update next week - and keep watching and listening for
hummingbirds!

Hummingbird
Migration Update: February 23, 2006
"I didn't think it was possible for one of my hummers to be
back this early, but there he was," exclaimed an Alabama observer.
Is this the season's first migration sighting of the season, or
was this an overwintering bird? Is YOUR habitat ready for hummingbirds?
Look outside your window today and tell us what you see. Find out
what hummingbirds need to survive.

Photo:
Edward Registrato

Hummingbird
Migration Update: February 9, 2006
Rubythroats are still on their wintering grounds, but the very first
Rufous hummingbirds are on the move. Why do they come back? Learn
what sets the two species apart. Get set for the migration with
a fun map-making exercise. Print your own official hummingbird migration
journals and get ready to welcome your hummers home!